Typewriting machine



March 3 A. G. F. KUROWSK! TYPEWRITING MACHINE Original Filed July .22.1926 INVENTOR ATTORNE Patented Mar. 7, 1933 A UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE ALFRED F. KUROWSKI, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOODELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, OF NEVJ YORK, N. Y.,' A CORPORATION OF-DELAWARETYPEWRITING MACHINE Original application filed July 22, 1926,

7 This invention relates to typewriting machines, and more particularlyto powerdriven type-actions, where a constantly rotating motor isemployed to drive the type-bars to typing position upon depression ofthe associated character-keys. d

An object of the invention is to provide a simple key-controlledpower-drive, so that the fingers of the operator may be substantiallyrelieved of the work'required to operate the type-actions to print. Afeature of said power-drive is that it may be applied to the typewriterwith a minimum number of changes in said typewriter. To this end, thereis provided a bar extending transversely of and below the key-levers.This bar is given a continuously and rapidly reciprocating edgewisemovement of sufficient extent to operate the key-levers in a fullstroke. This reciprocating movement is best derived by means of aneccentric and co-acting slotted arm device, the slotted arm beingfastened to a rock-shaft to which the bar is attached by arms. Anelectric motor drives the eccentric to which it is geared for a suitablespeed. Each key-lever has pivotally attached to it a swingable member, aportion of which may, by swinging the member, be interjected into thepath of said reciprocating bar, with a consequent displacement andoperation of the typewriter key-lever to print. For each typewriterkey-lever there is provided an auxiliary key-lever whereby thedisplacement of the corresponding swingable member into the path of thereciprocating bar may be selectively effected. The keys of theseauxiliary key-levers constitute an auxiliary keyboard, and saidauxiliary key-levers are so disposed that the auxiliary keyboard is justabove the regular typewriter-keyboard with sufiicient space between thetwo keyboards to permit free operation of the auxiliary key-levers. Theinterjectable portions of the aforesaid swingable members can only befully interjected into the path of the reciprocating bar when the bar isat the extremity of its upward movement. In order that an auxiliarykey-lever may be operated in an interval between such extremities, ayieldable operating connection ispro- Serial No. 124,147; Divided andthis 1928. Serial No. 299,205.

application filed. August 13,

1926, now Patent No. 1,823,550, dated Sept.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter app-ear.

In theaccompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a type-writing machinewith my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional side view of a typewriting machine with theinvention applied thereto, the parts being shown in their inoperatedpositions.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View of a typewriter key-lever and relatedparts, showing the relativepositions when an auxiliary keylever has beendepressed.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a typeaction, to show the operationofsaid typeaction by a power-driven means to print.

\ Key-levers 10, when depressed, swing about their fulcrum 11 againstthe tension of returning springs 12 to rock bell-cranks 13 about theirpivots '14 and swing type-bars 15 upwardly and rearwardly to printagainst a platen 16. Every time a type-bar 15 prints, the usualUnderwood escapement-mechanism, generally indicated by the number 17 isactuated by said type-bar to cause a carriage 18, in which the platen 16is mounted, to move a letter-feeding step. The letter-feeding steps areimpelled by the usualUnderwood carriage-spring motor, not shown. Thekeylevers 10 have mounted thereon the usual numeral-keys 19 andalphabet-keys 20.

In the present invention, power-driven means to operate the type-actionsare provided to relieve the fingers of the operator of the worknecessary to operate the type-actions to print. As a source from whichoperating impulses for said type-actions may be derived, there isprovided a rapidly-reciprocating bar 21, which extends transversely ofand under the key-levers 10. The reciprocating movement of said bar21 isderived by means of an eccentric 22 which coaots with a slotted arm 23fastened to a rock-shaft 24, to which the bar 21 is secured by means ofarms 25. The eccentric 22 is formed upon the side of a gear 26 whichmeshes with a driving gear 27 fastened to a shaft 28 of a driving motor29. To support the gear 26 for rotation, there is provided a bracket 30mounted upon a platform 31 which also supports the driving motor 29.Said gear is preferably made to rotate upon a suitablestud secured insaid bracket 30. If said gear 26 is journale'd in a bearing hole in saidbracket, said bearing hole must be of suflicient length to furnishprop-er bearing for the journal, which, in that case, is part of saidgear. The rockshaft 24 has its bearings in side frames 32 of thetypewriter.

As an operating connection between the reciprocating bar 21 and eachkey-lever 10, there is pivotally attached to each key-lever a swingablemember Said swingable member 33 has a lower hook-shaped portion 34,which, by swinging the member, may engage the bar 21. The member 33serves as an interponent, enabling the bar 21 to drive the selectedlever 10. Said hook-shaped portion is normally disengaged from said barTo effect the selective engagement of the hookshaped portion, there isprovided for each key-lever 10 an auxiliary lever 35. Said auxiliarylevers are pivoted on a common fulcrum-rod 36 which is supported by andbetween the side frames 32 of the typewriter. A stop-rod 37 determinesthe normal positions of said levers, and a stop-rod 38- determines theextent to which said levers may be retated. Each of said auxiliarylevers is yieldably held in said normal position by means of a spring 39secured to a bar 40 that is supported by and between the typewriter sideframes 32.

Suitable bracing means, not shown, may be provided to support the rods37, 38 and the bar 40 against sagging. The outer arms of the levers 35are formed so that keys 41, mounted on the ends of said outer arms,constitute an auxiliary keyboard above the regular typewriter-keyboard,said auxiliary keyboard bemg substantially a duplicate of said regularkeyboard. The inner arms 42 of said levers 35 are substantially uniform.

Operating connection between the arm 42 of each auxiliary lever 35 andthe correspondlng swlngable member33 is preferably made by means of ayieldable device that includes a lever 43 plvotally mounted adjacent theswingable member 33 and on the same pivotcenter. A bent-over tab 44 ofthe lever 43 engages the edge of the swingable member 33, and said taband said edge are drawn to gether by a spring 45 which normally has theeifect of making substantially one lever of the swingable member 33 andthe lever 43. The upper arm of each lever 43 has a suitably curvedportion 46, which lies in the path of the end of the arm 42 of theauxiliary lever. vVhen said auxiliary lever is rocked, the curvedportion 46 is displaced by the end of the arm 42, and the hook-shapedportion 34 is consequently caused to be interjected into the path of thereciprocating bar 21. It is for the reason that the hook-shaped portioncan only be interjected when the bar 21 is at the extremity of itsupward movement, that the aforesaid yieldable device, including thelever 43 and spring 45, is provided, and said yieldable device becomeseffective if the auxiliary lever is actuated in the interval betweensuch extremities. If the upper edge of the bar moves below the normallevel of the ends of the swingable members '33, said lower ends or upperedge should be beveled, so that a member 33 may ride over said bar ifits book shaped portion 34 is in the path of said bar at the beginningof its upward movement. Figure 3 shows an auxiliary lever 35 operated,and the corresponding hook-shaped portion 34 engaging the bar 21 at theextremity of the upward movement of said bar. Atthe end of the ensuingdownward movement of said bar the relative positions of the involvedparts are as shown in Figure 4.

A spring 47 is attached to each lever 43 and keeps said lever with itsrelated swingable.

member 33 in normal position, in which the lever 43 stops against a pin48, projecting from the side of the key-lever 10. It will be seen thatthe power-driven means herein described for operating the type-actionsmay be easily applied to the t pewriter with a minimum of change. Thepower-drive herein described is preferred on account of its simple andnovel features which make it economical to manufacture, install andmaintain. It.

will also be understood that a power-drive for the type-actions may bedispensed with, in which case the type-actions would be operated toprint by means of the regular typewriter-keys l9 and 20.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine having typebars connectible to actuatinglevers, a continuously reciprocating bar, means carried by eachactuating lever, including a cam and an interponent pivoted thereto,normally out of engagement with said bar, and auxiliary key-levers, onefor each of said actuating levers, operable to engage said cam and movesaid interponent into engagement with said reciprocating bar to enablethe latter to drive the selected type-bar to print.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combinationwith actuating levers, of areciprocating bar underlying said levers, a swingable interponentmounted on each of said levers to cooperate with said bar for depressingsaid levers, a cam adjacent each interponent and also mounted on itslever, for moving said interponent into engagement with saidreciprocating bar, and key means for operating said cams.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with type-actuating levers,of a reciprocating bar underlying said levers, a swingable interponentmounted on each of said levers to co-op-erate with said bar fordepressing said levers, cams adjacent said interponents and mounted onsaid levers for moving said interponents into and out of engagement withsaid reciprocating bar, and auxiliary levers terminating in a keyboardand operable to actuate said cams to swing said interponents into thepath of said reciprocating bar.

4:. In a typewriting machine, the combination with type-actionsincluding individual levers, of a bar underlying said levers, aconstantly rotating motor, an eccentric member rotated by said motor, tocontinuously rock the bar, swingable resilient interponents to beengaged and driven by said bar, key-controlled means mounted upon saidlevers to present said interponents to said bar selectively, and meansto enable said interponents to drive said type-action levers.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with type-actions includinglevers, of a bar to actuate said levers, a constantly rotating motoreffective to vibrate the bar, a swingble interponent mounted on eachlever and including a hook-portion at one end, a controlling lever foreach interponent, a spring for normally holding said hook-portion out ofthe path of said reciprocating bar, and a second spring for holding theother end of the interponent against said controlling lever, and keys torock said controlling levers to swing said hook-portions selectivelyinto the path of said bar.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a type-actionincluding depressible key-levers terminating in a keyboard, of a barunderlying said key-levers, a constantly rotating motor, an eccentricmember rotated by said motor, a slotted arm straddling said rotatingeccentric member and connected to said bar to continuously rock thelatter, a lever having a cam-face and a swingable member mounted on eachkeylever, a hook-portion at the lower end of each of said members, saidlevers normally holding said hook-portions out of the path of saidreciprocating bar, and means to rock said levers to swing saidhook-portions into the path of said bar, said means including a set ofauxiliary key-levers, the rear ends of which act on cam faces of saidlevers to rock the latter when said key-levers are operated through aset of character-keys mounted on the forward end of said key-levers andforming an auxiliary keyboard.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination with type-actions includingdepressible key-levers, of a vertically reciprocating bar underlyingsaid key-levers, a swingable member mounted on each key-lever, ahookportion at the lower end of each member, a lever mounted adjacenteach of said members and normally holding said hook-portions out of thepath of said reciprocating bar, means to rock said levers to' move saidhook-portions under said bar, and a yieldable connection between'saidlevers and said swingable members to permit said levers to be rockedwhile the hook-portions of said members are prevented from moving undersaid bar when the latter is in lower position.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination with type-actions havingactuating levers, of a bar, driving means including a motor forimparting a reciprocating movement to said bar, and key-controlled meanspivoted to the levers and each including a spring-pressed interponentwhich yields when obstructed by said bar it the latter is in its lowerposition, and which springs under the bar when the latter rises, eachinterponent effective to connect its type-action to said bar to bedriven thereby.

ALFRED G. F. KUROVVSKI.

